Friday, December 26, 2014

A statue of welterweight boxing champion Tony DeMarco is located at the corner of Hanover and Cross Street in the north End of Boston.

Long Description:

A 6' high bronze statue of legendary boxer Tony DeMarco was unveiled on October 20, 2012 at the entrance to the North End neighborhood in Boston where DeMarco grew up. DeMarco is standing on a 2.5' high by 6' square and tapered polished black granite base. DeMarco depicted in boxing trunks and footwear. He is in a boxing stance with his right foot forward while leading with his left hand. The statue was created by Harry Weber.

There are two bronze plaques attached to the base of the statue. The west side plaque is inscribed:

"THE FLAME AND THE FURY OF FLEET STREET"

TONY DEMARCO

* UNDISPUTED HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION OF THE WORLD *

* KO'D JOHNNY SAXON APRIL 1, 1955 BOSTON GARDEN *

* BORN ON FLEET STREET IN BOSTON'S NORTH END *

* FOUGHT 8 WORLD CHAMPIONS *

* DEMARCO VS . BASILIO CHAMPIONSHIP BOUTS

VOTED TWO OF THE TEN GREATEST FIGHTS OF ALL TIME *

~

MASSACHUSETTS CHAPTER OF

THE NATIONAL ITALIAN AMERICAN SPORTS HALL OF FAME

COMMITTEE MEMBERS

* BILL SPADAFORA, PRESIDENT * DONATO FRATTAROLI * CHRIS ZIZZA

* VICTOR CORDA * RICH CAPPIELLO

~

STATUE GIFT OF BY THE PRIVITERA FAMILY CHARITABLE FOUNDATION FAMILY CHARITABLE FOUNDATION

The south side plaque is inscribed:

GIFT OF

PRIVITERA FAMILY

CHARITABLE FOUNDATION

PRESIDENT PHILIP J. PRIVITERA

CHAIRMAN FRANCIS D. PRIVITERA

TRUSTEE JEANINE PRIVITERA TRUSTEE FRANCIS D. PRIVITERA JR.

***

THIS STATUE OF

TONY DEMARCO

WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPION OF THE WORLD 1955

IS A GIFT TO

THE NATIONAL ITALIAN-AMERICAN

SPORTS HALL OF FAME

IN LOVING MEMORY OF

JENNIE "JEAN" PRIVITERA

APRIL 5, 1936 - AUGUST 11, 2009

DEDICATED

OCTOBER 20, 2012

A third plaque contains a list of sponsors.

Tony DeMarco (née Leonardo Liotta) was born on January 14, 1932 to Sicilian immigrants, Vincent and Giacomina Liotta, in the North End neighborhood of Boston.

Wikipedia provides the following details of his life and career. Wikipedia Link

Underage Leonardo Liotta used Tony DeMarco's birth certificate so he could complete in is first fight at age 16 on October 21, 1948. He knocked out is opponent, Mestor Jones, in one round. He went on to compile a record of:

A memorial dedicated to undefeated heavyweight boxing legend, Rocky Marciano, is located in the South End neighborhood of Springfield.

Long Description:

Italian immigrants to Springfield settled in Springfield's South End neighborhood. Although later generations have move on, the area is still home to a variety of Italian specialty shops. At the southeast corner of Main and William Street, at the edge of a parking lot for a popular store at 889 Main Street, is a monument to Rocky Marciano. The inscription reads:

Thursday, December 25, 2014

Long Description:
Santa's Land is now re-opened. This famous attraction of Route 5 in Putney VT that originally opened in 1957 had fallen on hard times and closed in 2011. It reopened under new management in 2013. Many of the exhibits have been repainted and the rides refurbished. The amusement park is now open on weekends only from 10 am to 5 pm.

Wednesday, December 24, 2014

A reproduction of the original Clyde, Toy Town Horse is located at the intersection of Front (Rt. 202) and West Street in Winchendon, MA.

Long Description:

A four-fold larger version of a child's wooden rocking horse is on display in Winchendon, MA. The horse is the symbol of the town's historical role as a center for the manufacture of wooden toys.

A tablet on the shelter enclosing the rocking horse provides the history of the rocking horse. It is inscribed:

THE TOY TOWN HORSE IS HOME AGAIN. THIS IS A REPRODUCTION OF THE ORIGINAL TOY TOWN HORSE THAT STOOD FOR SO LONG IN THE WINCHENDON AND HELPED IDENTIFY WINCHENDON AS "TOY TOWN".THE ORIGINAL TOY TOWN HORSE WAS CONSTRUCTED IN 1914 AS A FLOATFOR THE TOWN'S 150TH ANNIVERSARY. WINCHENDON WAS THE HOME OF THECONVERSE COMPANY AND THE WORLD'S LARGEST WOODEN TOY FACTORY.WORKERS FROM THE CONVERSE COMPANY - FRED DWELLEY, DESIGNER;CHARLES TENNEY, CARPENTER; JESSE BEZIO, WOOD TURNER; JOHN DAMON,PAINTER; SPENT FIVE MONTHS CONSTRUCTING THE HORSE WHICH WAS A FOURTIME ENLARGEMENT OF THE CONVERSE COMPANY'S NO. 12 ROCKING HORSE.THE ORIGINAL HORSE TOOK 3,000 FEET OF TWO INCH PINE NAILED TOHETHERTO COMPLETE.THE HORSE RESTED IN THE TOWNS'S RAILROAD STATION FOR TWENTY YEARS AS A LANDMARK FOR TRAVELERS PASSING THROUGH WINCHENDON.IN 1917 THE HORSE APPEARED IN THE SUNDAY EDITION OF THE "BOSTONAMERICAN". IN 1934 THE HORSE WAS MOVED TO THE TOY TOWN TAVERNPROPERTY (NOW THE WINCHENDON SCHOOL). FOR THIRTY YEARS AT THAT LOCATION IT WAS CLIMBED ON BY CHILDREN AND WELL PHOTOGRAPHED.THE HORSE MADE TWO OTHER NOTABLE APPEARANCES FOR WHICH IT WASREFURBISHED. IN 1964 IT WAS PARADED IN THE TOWN'S BICENTENNIAL PARADE,AND AGAIN IN 1976 FOR THE NATION'S BICENTENNIAL. AFTER THAT IT FELLINTO DISREPAIR AND RUIN.RECENTLY, THE WINCHENDON HISTORICAL SOCIETY SPEARHEADED A DRIVE TOBRING BACK THE HORSE AS A SYMBOL OF CIVIC PRIDE AND A FOCAL POINT OFOUR HISTORICAL IDENTITY. THROUGH THE EARNEST EFFORTS OF THE TWOORGANIZATIONS AND MANY TOWNSPEOPLE, FUNDS WERE RAISED AND THE PROJECT BECAME A REALITY.THE CRAFTSMAN FOUND TO CREATE THE NEW HORSE WAS SHERMAN LABARGE OF FRYEBERG, MAINE. IT TOOK HIM 18 MONTHS TO COMPLETE THEHORSE HERE IN FRONT OF YOU. THE NEW HORSE MADE ITS PUBLIC DEBUTAT WINCHENDON'S 1988 TOY TOWN FOURTH OF JULY CELEBRATION. IT NOWSTANDS IN THE GAZEBO CONSTRUCTED THROUGH THE EFFORTS OF THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND THE DONATION OF LABOR AND MATERIALS FROMCHAMBER MEMBERS.THE HORSE THAT STANDS BEFORE YOU IS A SYMBOL OF PRIDE TO THECITIZENS OF WINCHENDON THAT WE WISH TO DISPLAY TO ALL. AS IT ONCESTOOD AT THE RAILROAD STATION, IT NOW STANDS AT THE JUNCTION OF TWOWELL TRAVELED ROADS PASSING THROUGH WINCHENDON FOR ALL TO SEE.WITH THE HELP OF MODERN TECHNOLOGY AND THE SHELTER WE HOPE THATPEOPLE CAN ENJOY THIS TOT TOWN HORSE WITH US FOR ANOTHER SEVENTYFIVE YEARS TO COME.

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Three Giant Legos are located at the cul-de-sac on Cybulski Road by the Lego office complex in Enfield, CT.

Long Description:

Actually, three sets of 8' foot long giant Legos are located at three separate locations surrounding the Lego office complex in Enfield, CT. All three sets of Legos consist of a grouping of one yellow, one red, and one blue Lego all in the same orientation.

At the Cybulski Road entrance (location of the coordinates) the yellow Lego is standing alone upright on it's edge, the red Lego is resting on its bottom, and the blue Lego is slanted from the ground to the top of the red Lego.

At a playground on Moody Road (N 42° 00.305; W 72° 30.865) a blue Lego is standing alone upright on it's edge, the yellow Lego is resting on its bottom, and the red Lego is slanted from the ground to the top of the red Lego.

At the Taylor Road entrance (N 42° 00.572; W 72° 30.783), once again, the yellow Lego is standing alone upright on it's edge, the red Lego is resting on its bottom, and the blue Lego is slanted from the ground to the top of the red Lego.

Tuesday, December 2, 2014

St. David Lighthouse is located on St. David Island on the lighthouse road on Mount Hill at northeast end of Bermuda.

Long Description:

St. David Lighthouse is the northernmost of two lighthouses in Bermuda. It is constructed of Bermuda stone and became operational on November 3, 1879. It is still in use today. The tower is 55 feet high and is 208 feet above sea level. The light has a range of 20 nautical miles.

The stamp was issued by Bermuda in 1938 as part of a set of five designs showing scenes of Bermuda.

The Royal Naval Dockyard's Clock Tower Mall is located at Clock Tower Parade in the west end of Bermuda.Long Description:

The administration and storage of the Royal Naval Dockyard are now the Clock Tower Mall. The Royal Naval Dockyard was built in 1809 on the west end of Bermuda. Due to the fact that Bermuda is surrounded by reefs, it is the only location in Bermuda that is accessible to large ships. At one time it was the largest British naval base outside the United Kingdom. It provided a vital strategic defense for British interests in the western Atlantic Ocean from the War of 1812 until after the Second World War. The area is defended by a fortress once known as the "Gibraltar of the West.”

Today the dockyard buildings have been restored and converted for commercial use. The buildings, that once housed the administration offices for the British Royal Navy, are now home to the Clock Tower Shopping Mall which contains boutique shops, arts and crafts studios and restaurants. The fortress is home to the National Museum of Bermuda.

The 100' high twin clock towers had different functions. The south tower has a traditional time-of-day clock. The north tower had a single hand that shows the time of high tide.

About Me

My interest in travel and exploration took me to all 50 states, much of Canada, Europe, the Caribbean, as well as some of Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica and Mexico. As I got older my outdoor activities shifted from hiking to orienteering to geocaching to waymarking.